Two videos from the tour are now posted on Youtube. One is from the closing banquet in Edinburgh and the other is from the banquet in Kelso. The videos are on the Photo Gallery page or you can get to them using the following links

Monday Morning at the Airport is not too busy if you arrive before 7 AM.Surveying gate 3A I see at least 15 of our guys gathered.We are departing, with our tired bodies and cloudy heads, but our hearts will forever be with the friends we made and the memories of this experience is something we will take to our graves……Thank you Scotland for a wonderful Tour.

Well I promised a last recap and this is what I remember from the arrival at Braid Hills to now.First of all it was as nice a hotel room as Russ and I had and it was on the first floor although a fair walk through the function area.

For our last official match Team Rhyme played Alastair Hay, Lindsey Scotland, Dave Anderson and Mike Williamson.We were sitting with a rock on the button almost frozen with a row of guards in front, yet with the last two shots Mr. Hay managed to turn our apparent victory into a four shot end for his team and yet another defeat for team Rhyme.Well done, and even with this reversal team USA pulled out a victory as was reported earlier.

Saturday night was a night our teams were to be home hosted so we were collected by Jenny Bain, our assigned host who had stayed with Rhyme and Brown last year on the Scot Ladies tour.It took about 20 minutes or so to reach her modern house overlooking Edinburgh.Her husband Alan took charge when we hit the door and I cannot count the number of trips he made to the cellar for more wine.Besides the Rhyme team there were 7 other guests plus the hosts so it was a lively party.When we arrived we met the three daughters of Alan and Jenny who with several friends were putting the finishing touches on their very attractive appearances for the Young Farmers dance.(I now know why there are so many farmers in Scotland……with many young beautiful lassies going to the dance I would commit to being a farmer too.)

I also must apologize for my less than lively participation during the evening.I started by dozing off and tipping a glass of wine on my leg abruptly waking me and providing the largest of the many laughs that night.Later I actually took a nap while my teammates continue to enjoy the jokes, witticisms, and wonderful singing.The lasagna was delicious, the dessert great, but the drink was over the top.Alan kept the party going and promised breakfast at dawn but once the girls returned from the dance we broke away and got to the locked hotel at 2:30 AM.Bill Rhyme one of our non-drinkers made sure he told Army that he was out later for once.

On Sunday morning I was up at 8 (courtesy of the nap I had at the party) and joined several other tourists and courier Robert Stewart at Duddingston Kirk for worship at the Church of Scotland. The church was built on Duddingston Loch in the 12th century and remains much as it was after being extended in 1633Minster Jim Jack acknowledged President Pat Edington, and his guests from the Scot Tour, us.After church our group was escorted through the garden for a tour of the Thompson Tower named after a predecessor of Rev. Jack.At the base of the tower which is on the shore of the pond is an excellent museum of curling memorabilia, and tour guide Ian Seath had painstakingly placed the full summer exhibit normally closed for the winter back together.It was wonderful.A nice display of many curling stones, brooms, photos, and history.As we learned early in the tour the rules of curling were formalized at Duddington in 1804 and are the same today.

Leaving the church the bus dropped us on George Street for about an hour and half of sightseeing and shopping at the City Center.Earlier several other tourists toured the Edinburgh Castle, the Underground and several other stops on the Royal Mile.

The lunch before our last match as the Royal Caledonian Curling Club was at 1:30 PM and our Captain, vice-Captain, Dave Carlson and Paul Badgero were a bit late as they had walked the nearly two miles from City Centre.Jon Mielke and I found a taxi that would have carried all six of us, but we had spilt up just before that.

In the 3 PM match I was playing against Ian Tulloch whom I had met in Lowell in 2006 and whom my friend Hal McGrady had asked me to pass on his greeting.Curling with Ian was Jim Berry (whose wife is a member of this year’s senior women’s team for Scotland) Harry Dodd from Kelso and Alan Dunro from the Moray Province.Even though the game was an exhibition the tourists played hard and each side enjoyed the competition.Afterwards in the upstairs lounge at Murrayfield Ice Rink we were able to watch the final match of the Men’s Championship.Jenny Bain had stopped by earlier for a quick goodbye and told us the Eve Murifield had won the Ladies in the morning.Jenny had gotten up and gone to Perth as she is the incoming president of the Scot Ladies.Tom Brewster the ice maker at Aberdeen came through to play in the finals against Warwick Smith and prevailed 4-2.

We were back at Braid Hills for the Closing Banquet which was just a grand affair at 7:30 for 8.Our 20 member team was outnumber 4-1 by so many people who have become friends that it seemed to be just like a party back home where you knew practically every one.I have admit that my emotion was so high that it was difficult to express how happy we all were for the tremendous outpouring of support and friendship shown to us at this final formal event.

President Pat presided, Bill Holland was back, Hugh Templeton, and Robert shared “courier tales of the tour", and Captain Mark Swandby tried to express our thanks and appreciation for all that everyone has done for us.It was a very moving closing banquet and wonderful meal with FRIENDS.

Oh, near the end of the evening we did get the Herries Maxwell trophy.That is what we thought we were coming for but it is the least of what we actually took home.

Bill Duncan giving the final thanks said it for all... “Haste ye Back” and trust us we are eagerly anticipating reciprocating the experience when the Scotland Tour of United States comes in 5 years.

PS.I am sending this from Newark all tourists reclaimed luggage and are off across USA.Hugh. and Robert accompanied us to airport and with a bottle of Arran Founders Reserve Carl was able to list scotch whisky # 91.With a generous 8 pound fine from Judge Lepping, because he had not shaved today, Jim Pleasants won the highest fine level and the wooden stone. It is over but the future is just beginning.....talk of reunions and staying in touch were all part of the "so longs" as the tourists shook hands all around.